The presentation of the iMUGS project (Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System), which is part of the EDIDP (European Defence Industry Development Programme), organized by KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) took place at the military training area in Lehnin.
The objective of the project is to develop and test a modular, safe and scalable architecture for future unmanned systems by means of various demonstrations.
The focus of the demonstration in the presence of high-ranking international guests from politics and the military was put on the interaction of unmanned and manned systems on the ground and in the air. In addition, the use of cyber security to defend against current threats was presented as well as the use of autonomy solutions.
In this context, KMW is the head of the subproject Manned-Unmanned Teaming. The vehicle systems BOXER and DINGO are the interfaces for the unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned air systems. All information of the hybrid systems are gathered in these command centers and can be analyzed and passed on.
Within the project iMUGS, Diehl Defence contributes significant capabilities to the Autonomy Kit of the unmanned TheMIS demonstration vehicles. Together with Nexter and Safran and based on existing in-house capabilities, Diehl Defence developed the autonomy functions. The focus for Diehl Defence was here on the "Convoy/Follow Me Mode" which is purely based on cameras and works without GPS, thus offering a high level of maturity with regard to the final military product.
The vehicles that Diehl Defence presented within the demonstration on the military training area in Lehnin comprise, in addition, four unmanned soldier support platforms of the type "Mattro Ziesel" which are exclusively equipped with the PLATON Autonomy Kit developed by Diehl Defence.
These vehicles are equipped with the autonomy functions "follow me", "patrolling" as well as "waypoint navigation". Besides the above described capability to follow a person walking ahead, the vehicles are capable of following a "learned" route while taking into consideration obstacles (MULE/Patrolling). Moreover, the vehicles are able to travel a given route with the help of waypoint navigation while simultaneously identifying and avoiding obstacles.
The demonstrated capabilities of the land forces' autonomy are shown in a whole system of a digitalized battlefield. In it, several threats have a significant role in the "dimension air". To take into account this element, Diehl Defence also exhibited other digitized systems at this event.
These are the ground-based air defence system IRIS-T SLS which is integrated on an EAGLE vehicle of GDELS (Mowag) in the showcased version (Mk. III). A model of the protection system HPEM SkyWolf from the Guardion C-UAS system as well as the remotely controllable light weapon station R150 with a heavy machine gun (12,7mm) on a sample vehicle from ACS completed Diehl Defence's display. All shown systems are capable of networking in a protection network and are used to defend against threats from the air.